Two giants, back to back
Six days for four friends, built around two Hors Catégorie Tour de France passes, Col du Portet and Port de Balès, climbed on consecutive days from a private farmhouse, plus a genuine Ariège river-valley recovery day.
Arrival & the Ariège welcome
Where you're staying
Auberge des Deux Rivières, Pont de la Taulé, Seix: an independent hotel-restaurant at the confluence of the Alet and Salat rivers, run by owners Robert and Philippe, ranked #1 restaurant in Seix on Tripadvisor.
- Garden and terrace over the two rivers, a private natural river beach, secure bike lock-up
Photos: aubergedesdeuxrivieres.com
Today
Land at Toulouse-Blagnac; about 1h45–2h by car to Seix.
- No serious riding today, just an easy flat spin along the Salat valley if legs want it, or settle in and walk Seix's old village centre
Dinner
At the auberge's own restaurant: home-style Ariégeois cooking from Robert and Philippe (garbure and classic regional plates), on the terrace over the two rivers if the weather holds.
Into the Vallée d'Aure
Where you're staying
Gîte Marmotte, Ferme de Soulan: an 18th/19th-century Bigourdan farm, three stone buildings, split into two independent gîtes.
- Four bedrooms, wood-stove sitting room, full kitchen, valley-view terrace, sauna and hammam built in, 1,280m up and 10 minutes above Saint-Lary-Soulan
Photos: fermedesoulan.com
Today
Arrive early afternoon and keep it light: settle in, try the sauna and hammam.
- An easy loop down into Saint-Lary-Soulan and back if anyone wants to spin their legs
- Evening walk through Saint-Lary's old stone-and-timber centre
Dinner
La Grange, Saint-Lary-Soulan: gourmet and local cooking referenced in both Michelin and Gault&Millau, built around foie gras, French lamb, duck and Porc Noir de Bigorre.
Photos: restaurant-saint-lary.com
Flagship day
Col du Portet, direct from the door
Day 3 · Wed 8 Sep
The climb
Col du Portet: 16.2–16.4 km, roughly 1,470–1,600m of climbing, average gradient 8.5–8.6%, summit 2,215m: one of the hardest continuous paved climbs in the Pyrenees, first used by the Tour de France in 2018.
- Roll down into Vignec and pick up the climb straight from the farmhouse
- Budget 1h30–2h15 up plus a careful descent, and note there's nothing at the summit, so carry water and food
Route: Strava route "TDF 2018 Col de Portet St Lary" (strava.com/routes/22432866), cross-checked against Climbfinder.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (Teddy65170, Benh LIEU SONG; CC BY-SA)
Young by Pyrenean standards
The Tour de France only discovered this climb in 2018. At 2,215m it's already one of the hardest continuously paved ascents in the whole range.
Dinner
Relaxed self-catered dinner at the farmhouse, then the sauna and hammam, or La Pergola at Hôtel Mir (Gault&Millau 11/20) by phone reservation.
Flagship day
Port de Balès, from Mauléon-Barousse
Day 4 · Thu 9 Sep
The climb
Port de Balès: 18.9–19.3 km, roughly 1,190–1,380m of climbing, average gradient 6.2–6.3% but notoriously irregular: flat for the first 5–6km to the Chalet Saint-Néré, then repeated 10–14% ramps to the 1,755m summit.
- This is the pass where Andy Schleck's chain famously dropped in the lead group of the 2010 Tour de France
Route: Outdooractive "Port de Balès 1755m, from Mauléon-Barousse", a free GPX/KML/FIT download, no account needed.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (Paternel 1, Duch; CC BY-SA / CC BY)
Where a Tour was decided
Andy Schleck's chain dropped mid-attack on this exact pass in the lead group of the 2010 Tour, and Alberto Contador attacked while he waited, a move still argued over as bad sportsmanship today.
Meals
Chalet Saint-Néré for a mid-climb refuel; another self-catered recovery dinner and the sauna/hammam back at the farmhouse.
Back to Ariège & recovery
Today
A proper rest day, no climbing.
- A soak at the Thermes d'Aulus-les-Bains, Ariège's own small-scale thermal station: cold sulphate-and-magnesium springs in a 1989 glass-and-timber bathhouse
- Alternative: the Grotte de Niaux prehistoric painted cave, 17,000-year-old Magdalenian art, booking essential
Dinner
Auberge d'Antan, inside the Domaine du Château de Beauregard, Saint-Girons: Gault&Millau 12/20, Gascon cooking over a wood fire.
- The trip's one deliberately dressed-up table
Optional bonus climb & departure
Optional bonus
Col d'Agnès, from Aulus-les-Bains: 10.2km, 826m of climbing, average 8.1%, ride-from-the-door territory via Col de Latrape out of Seix, for anyone with legs left.
- Otherwise, a relaxed final morning before the drive back to Toulouse-Blagnac
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